Miss Ezmae Wins Drama-Filled The 715

MISS Ezmae has been crowned the inaugural winner of The Ladbrokes 715 at The Gardens on Saturday night.

But as it turned out the most uneventful component of the victory was the race itself following a drama-filled lead-up to a tilt at the world's richest staying event.

Making the long trek from Forbes to Newcastle, Marree Smith, wife of trainer Jack, broke down almost two hours out from her destination at Sandy Hollow, a small town in the Muswellbrook shire.

Thankfully for connections a "stranger" by the name of Jessie Hines came to Marree's rescue, shuttling her and Miss Ezmae for the remainder of their all-important journey to Ladbrokes Gardens.

And it was a good deed that paid the ultimate of dividends after Miss Ezmae led from barrier to box to annex the $500,000 winner's purse and in the process race her way into retirement.

In just 41.65 seconds, Jessie – whoever he is – gained himself Rockstar status with connections, favourite backers, and the huge crowd that packed into the Newcastle venue.

ALL THE KISSES!

We think Miss Ezmae should get 500,000 kisses after her all-the-way win in the inaugural @ladbrokescomau 715 tonight at The Gardens…#thedogs #greyhoundracing pic.twitter.com/JMYddZIPcN

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) June 11, 2022

"I'm just so very excited – excited for everybody, and a special thank you for Jessie for bringing me here," Marree Smith beamed post race.

"I really can't thank Jessie enough, what can I say. This is the pinnacle of my and Jack's career. You put everything into it like we should and now we get something out of it like this. It is just so very special.

"We are so lucky to have owners that give us dogs like this, it is all just so very exciting.

"She is very special."

Now a winner at 17 of her 28 career starts with stake earnings of $668,000, Miss Ezmae will head off into retirement as one of the sport's most gifted stayers.

The daughter of Barcia Bale and former talented stayer Zagati was drawn to lead the inaugural running of The Ladbrokes 715 from box one and she didn't disappoint, zooming straight to an early lead.

Runner-up Sound Of Silence pushed the race favourite mid race but Miss Ezmae always looked to have the lucrative winner's prize in her keeping, finishing strong late to score by 1 ½ lengths in 41.65.

Finishing third was Cawbourne Magic for Jodie Lord another five lengths away.

But all the plaudits were with Miss Ezmae which has been a revelation over all distances during her short yet distinguished career.

Her dam Zagati, on the verge of being a top flight stayer for Robert Britton in Victoria before injury struck, is by champion brood Solar Pak, mother of Feral Franky and Good Odds Harada among a galaxy of stars.

Feral Franky was raced by the Niccol family which are also the proud owners of Miss Ezmae.

Now motherhood awaits for the immensely talented chaser and if she's half as good at that as she is on the track than we can expect to see her progeny do her proud in the coming years.

A bumper crowd packed into Ladbrokes Gardens for the showpiece on Saturday night and given the success of the event the race looks to have found its rightful home, much like the inaugural Country Classic at Dubbo earlier in the year.

Rock legend Shannon Noll kept the monster crowd entertained throughout the evening as did Miss Ezmae with her dashing victory in the main event.